महाभारतः mahābhārataḥ - book-12, chapter-212, verse-5

तमसा हि प्रतिच्छन्नं विभ्रान्तमिव चातुरम् ।
पुनः प्रशमयन्वाक्यैः कविः पञ्चशिखोऽब्रवीत् ॥५॥

5. tamasā hi praticchannaṁ vibhrāntamiva cāturam ,
punaḥ praśamayanvākyaiḥ kaviḥ pañcaśikho'bravīt.

5. tamasā hi praticchannam vibhrāntam iva ca āturam
punaḥ praśamayan vākyaiḥ kaviḥ pañcaśikhaḥ abravīt

5. hi kaviḥ pañcaśikhaḥ punaḥ vākyaiḥ praticchannam
tamasā iva vibhrāntam ca āturam praśamayan abravīt

5. Indeed (hi), the sage (kaviḥ) Pañcaśikha (pañcaśikhaḥ), again (punaḥ) pacifying (praśamayan) with his words (vākyaiḥ) someone who was covered (praticchannam) by darkness (tamasā) and, as it were (iva), bewildered (vibhrāntam) and distressed (āturam), spoke (abravīt).

Words meanings summery:

• तमसा (tamasā) - by ignorance or delusion (by darkness, by ignorance)

• हि (hi) - indeed (indeed, surely)

• प्रतिच्छन्नम् (praticchannam) - enveloped or obscured (by darkness/ignorance) (covered, concealed, hidden)

• विभ्रान्तम् (vibhrāntam) - confused in mind, disoriented (bewildered, confused, deluded)

• इव (iva) - as if, like

• च (ca) - and

• आतुरम् (āturam) - mentally distressed or troubled (distressed, suffering, sick)

• पुनः (punaḥ) - again (again, moreover)

• प्रशमयन् (praśamayan) - calming the listener's distress or confusion (pacifying, calming, allaying)

• वाक्यैः (vākyaiḥ) - by means of his teachings or statements (by words, with speeches)

• कविः (kaviḥ) - the wise sage (sage, poet, seer)

• पञ्चशिखः (pañcaśikhaḥ) - the sage specifically known as Pañcaśikha (Pañcaśikha (proper noun))

• अब्रवीत् (abravīt) - he stated or declared (he spoke, he said)

Words meanings and morphology

तमसा (tamasā) - by ignorance or delusion (by darkness, by ignorance)

(noun)

Instrumental, neuter, singular of tamas

tamas - darkness, ignorance, gloom, one of the three guṇas

Root: tam (class 4)

हि (hi) - indeed (indeed, surely)

(indeclinable)

प्रतिच्छन्नम् (praticchannam) - enveloped or obscured (by darkness/ignorance) (covered, concealed, hidden)

(adjective)

Accusative, neuter, singular of praticchanna

praticchanna - covered, concealed, hidden, disguised

Past Passive Participle

Derived from the root 'chad' (to cover) with the prefix 'prati-'.

Prefix: prati

Root: chad (class 10)

Note: Modifies an implied object, e.g., the listener.

विभ्रान्तम् (vibhrāntam) - confused in mind, disoriented (bewildered, confused, deluded)

(adjective)

Accusative, neuter, singular of vibhrānta

vibhrānta - bewildered, confused, deluded, gone astray

Past Passive Participle

Derived from the root 'bhram' (to wander about, be bewildered) with the prefix 'vi-'.

Prefix: vi

Root: bhram (class 1)

Note: Modifies an implied object, e.g., the listener.

इव (iva) - as if, like

(indeclinable)

च (ca) - and

(indeclinable)

आतुरम् (āturam) - mentally distressed or troubled (distressed, suffering, sick)

(adjective)

Accusative, neuter, singular of ātura

ātura - distressed, suffering, sick, afflicted, troubled

From root 'tūr' (to be quick) or 'ā-tṝ'.

Note: Modifies an implied object, e.g., the listener.

पुनः (punaḥ) - again (again, moreover)

(indeclinable)

प्रशमयन् (praśamayan) - calming the listener's distress or confusion (pacifying, calming, allaying)

(adjective)

Nominative, masculine, singular of praśamayant

praśamayant - pacifying, calming, allaying, soothing

Present Active Participle (Causative)

Derived from the causative form of the root 'śam' (to be calm) with the prefix 'pra-'.

Prefix: pra

Root: śam (class 4)

वाक्यैः (vākyaiḥ) - by means of his teachings or statements (by words, with speeches)

(noun)

Instrumental, neuter, plural of vākya

vākya - word, speech, sentence, statement, saying

Derived from the root 'vac' (to speak).

Root: vac (class 2)

कविः (kaviḥ) - the wise sage (sage, poet, seer)

(noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of kavi

kavi - sage, poet, seer, wise man

Derived from the root 'ku' (to sound, perceive).

Root: ku (class 2)

Note: Subject of 'abravīt'.

पञ्चशिखः (pañcaśikhaḥ) - the sage specifically known as Pañcaśikha (Pañcaśikha (proper noun))

(proper noun)

Nominative, masculine, singular of pañcaśikha

pañcaśikha - five-crested, five-peaked; a specific sage (Pañcaśikha)

Bahuvrīhi compound of 'pañcan' (five) and 'śikha' (crest, tuft of hair). Refers to a renowned Samkhya philosopher.

Compound type : bahuvrīhi (pañcan+śikha)

• pañcan – five
  numeral
• śikha – crest, tuft of hair, peak
  noun (masculine)

अब्रवीत् (abravīt) - he stated or declared (he spoke, he said)

(verb)

3rd person , singular, active, past imperfect (laṅ) of brū

Imperfect Tense

3rd person singular, imperfect active of the root 'brū'.

Root: brū (class 2)